Benjamin f



(No Model.)

B. P. RIX.

TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

No. 358,752. Patented Mar. 1; 1887,

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N. PETERS, Photoumographur. wmi glam u. c,

BENJAMIN F. RIX, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO B. ARTHUR STONE, OF SAME PLACE.

TWO- WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,752, dated March 1, 1887.

Application filed September 18, 1886. Serial No. 214,079. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. RIx, of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Two-WVheeled Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in two-wheeled vehicles; and the object of the invention is to adapt the vehicle to be used with either thills or a plate, as desired; and to this end my invention consist-s in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a road-cart embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 1 1 in Fig. 2.

E is the axle, provided with the wheels A, and B are the side bars, which are identical in every respect with the ordinary thills used in connection with this class of vehicles, ex-

cept that they do not reach further in front than is necessary to receive the front cross-bar which carries the whiflietree. At the rear ends these side bars are secured to the axle in the usual manner.

I) D are two crossbars, the one farthest in front carrying the whiflletree and the other being directly in the rear thereof, each consisting of an upper and lower chord secured 3 5 together by spreader-bars and bolts to form a stiff vertical truss, which at the ends is bolted or clipped to the under side of the side bars,

' preferably by the same bolt which secures the ends of the chords together.

40 F are thills, which, as shown in the drawings, are of the usual kind, except that they need not reach any farther to the rear than is necessary to secure their rear ends in any suit able manner upon the cross-bars D in the a11- 5 gle formed with the side bars; but, if it is desired to use a pole, the rear end of such pole may be easily inserted between the chords of the cross-bar and secured thereto in any suitable manner. I preferably choose to make such pole bifurcated at the rear, such bifurcacations being secured together by spreaderbars b and bolts, as shown. This construction not only combines lightness and strength, but

it gives increased facility for securing the pole to the crossbars, the spreader-bars of which 5 5 form lateral supports for such pole.

By using hook-bolts m, or other detachable connections for securing the pole to the crossbars, it will be seen that the pole may be readily made detachable, and if similar means 6 are provided to secure the thills to their respective side bars, the cart may be used either with a pole or with thills, as desired.

S is the seat. a are the seat-bars. C is the riding-spring, and e are hangers supporting 6 5 the riding-spring; but I merely choose to show these parts to illustrate a complete cart, and lay no claim on their construction or arrange ment. It is also obvious that my invention may be used in connection with many other 7c constructions in present use.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In road-carts, the combination, with a pole or thills, of side bars fixedly secured at the rear end to the axle and extending forwardly to the front crossbar, and two truss cross-bars adapted to receive the ends of a pole between their upper and lower chords, substantially as described.

2. In roadcarts, the combination,with side 8 bars fixedly secured at their rear ends to the axle and extending forwardly to the front crossbar, of two truss cross-bars secured at their ends to the under side of the side bars and adapted to receive the ends of a pole between 8 their upper and lower chords, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the side bars, B, rigidly secured at their rear ends to the axle and ex tending forwardly to the front cross-bar, the go trussed cross-bars D, secured at their ends to the under side of the side bars, and the pole c, detachably secured between the upper and lower chords of the cross-bars, all substantially as described.

BENJAMIN r. nix) Witnesses:

CHARLES J. HUNT, E. J. ScULLY. 

